Ethiopia Popular Destinations

Senkele Wldlife Sanctuary is located 48km west of Awassa, it is 340 kms south of Addis Ababa and covers an area of 54km2. The sanctuary was originally established to protect the endemic and endangered antelope species called Swayne’s hartebeests. The sanctuary is located in between Oromia and SNNPRS and managed by the Ethiopian Wildlife Cconservation Authority.

The open acacia woodland of the reserve is quite scenic and some of the animals are easily spotted, specially the Swayne’s hartebeests, the population of which is currently estimated at between 600 and 800. The sanctuary harbor other wild animals including Bohor, reedbucks, greater kudus, orbis antelopes, spotted hyenas, serval and civet cats, caracals, warthogs, common jackals as well as 91 species of bird.

Kuni-Muktar Mountain Nyala Sanctuary is a protected area and wildlife sanctuary in Ethiopia. It was set up in 1989 through the intervention of the Zoological Society of London to safeguard a small decreasing population of the critically endangered Tragelaphus buxtoni or Mountain Nyala.

Mountain Nyala, endemic to Ethiopia, are that country's biggest and rarest antelope, but also a most prized hunt for a few. The remnant population is estimated at 70-80 by Vigano based on ground observation and counts and at 200 by Evangelista, based on satellite photography and a prediction method. The same mission noted actions by a local hunter to obtain permission to obtain trophies through a stratagem. The Ethiopian Environment Protection Authority reportedly began legal action against the hunter in December 2008.

Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area and wildlife sanctuary in southern Ethiopia. It is located in the Borena Zone of the Oromia Region west of the town of Yabelo, having an area of 2,500 square kilometers and elevations ranging from 1430 to 2000 meters above sea level. The area of the Sanctuary is notable for its red soils which have little organic matter.

The Sanctuary affords protection to the endemic Swayne‟s Hartebeest and is the home of the endemic and vulnerable Ethiopian Bush Crow and White-tailed Swallow. The Ethiopian Bush Crow and White-tailed Swallow are also restricted-range species. Other non-endemic but globallythreatened species includes the Taita Falcon. With 62 Somali-Masai Biome birds, the site affords protection to 64% of Ethiopia‟s Somali-Masai Biome assemblage. Other interesting birds found here include Ostrich, Short-tailed Lark, Pringle‟s Puff-back, Northern Grey Tit, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, Vulturine Guinea fowl, Somali Sparrow, Black-capped SocialWeaver, Donaldson-Smith Nightjar, Star-spotted Nightjar, Grey-headed Social Weaver and Magpie Starling. The site is good for Burchell‟s Zebra and smaller numbers of Grant‟s Gazelle and Gerenuk.

The Blue Nile, locally known as Abbay, is the major tributory of the great Nile river - the longest river in the world. The Blue Nile river starts from Ethiopia's lake Tana and merges with the smaller tributory White Nile at Khartoum Sudan to form the Nile River. The mysterious Nile was long hidden from Western geographers and explorers. It was not until the expeditions of such great travellers as Bruce, Burton, and Speke that the secret of this grand river—which had fascinated, and eluded, even the ancient Romans and Greeks - was revealed. It was then confirmed that the White Nile originates in East Africa's Lake Victoria, while the Blue Nile pours out of Ethiopia's Lake Tana.

Known locally as Tis-Isat- 'Smoke of Fire' - the Blue Nile Falls are the most dramatic spectacle that the whole Nile system has to offer. Four hundred metres (1,312 feet) wide when in flood (which normally occurs in September and October, after the rainy season), and dropping over a sheer chasm more than forty-five metres (150 feet) deep, the falls throw up a continuous spray of water droplets which drench onlookers up to a kilometre away. This misty deluge, in turn, produces rainbows that shift and shimmer across the gorge and a perennial rainforest of lush green vegetation - much to the delight of the innumerable monkeys and multi-coloured birds that inhabit the gorge.

It is only a five-minute drive from the lakeside town of Bahir Dar across the Blue Nile Bridge, to the spot where the famous river flows out of Lake Tana. But the falls are about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the town and are best approached from Tis-Isat village, a market settlement of the Amhara people who live in this area farming crops like wheat, sorghum and teff (from which injera, the national bread, is made).

The town of Dire Dawa, which was almost entirely the creation of the railway, sprang into existence in 1902 when the railway builders, advancing inland from the coast, reached that point on the line. The railway company then ran into financial and other difficulties, with the result that construction of the line stopped and the town remained the railway’s terminal for over a decade.

To the north and west of this water course lies 'Kezira'. This is the 'modern' half of the town, which was planned, and at first largely erected, by the railway's engineers. This area consists of the railway station and its installations, stores, and workshops, as well as many houses, shops, offices, and other modern buildings.

This part of town differs from most other Ethiopian settlements in that it was constructed in a carefully thought-out manner, with straight, asphalt roads and well-aligned buildings. It is also unusual in having piped water, which comes from two nearby natural springs, and a drainage system.

On the other side of the river lies 'Megala', site of Dire Dawa's very sub-stantial traditional Kefira market, which handles an immense variety of goods. A melting pot for the peoples of the surrounding region, this market is surrounded by an agglomeration of local Arab-style houses, which are painted in various hues and are set in a maze of winding, unplanned streets.

With camel trains plodding in from the dusty plains and Somali, Afar, and Oromo people hustling about in a variety of different types of traditional dress, this section of town is particularly colorful.

Chebera Churchura National Park is a newly established National Park located in Konta Woreda, Dawro Zone. It is 480 km south of Addis on the Addis–Jimma-Chida-Ameya road. It has a total area of 11,900 ha and elevations range from 500-2000 masl. This park used to be part of the Kulo KontaControlled Hunting Area specifically set to hunt Elephants. The decline of Elephants in Africa and the need to conserve a representative area where this species could be protected in Ethiopia is a leading objective for its establishment.

This park is one of the relatively untouched, recently discovered and rich wilderness areas but the list visited and known park in the country. The park comprises unique and attractive mountain closed forest, closed tall-grassed savannah habitat, thick woodland forest. The landscape very fascinating highly rugged, undulating to rolling plains there a number of hilly & mountainous land which the whole year covered by vegetations. A number of cold & hot springs, historical caves, the Meka Forest (which is always with African Elephants). The park is the best site to see the African Elephants, and Buffalo.

Geraille National Park (also called Gerale National Park) is a new park and it lies in Liben Zone in the Southwest part of the Somali National Regional State. In Liben Zone, it is located in the eastern part of Moyale Woreda. It is about 900 km southeast of Addis Ababa and 120 km northeast of Moyale.

Mostly the vegetation composition is made up of small trees and shrubs, which are 3-4 m in height. The dominant species include Acacia mellifera, Acacia oerfata, Acacia brevispica and several species of Comifora species. The area is also characterized by grassland, open shrub land, dense shrub land, dense bush land, wooded grassland and riparian woodland/bush land. The dominant grass species include Ischamum species and Chrysopogon species. The area is generally rich in floral diversity as in the case of other parts of the Somali-Massai biome-East African evergreen vegetation type.

This park was proposed by the Somali National Regional state, although it is now under the supervision of EWCA, to conserve unique assemblage of wildlife in the Somali-Massai Biome. This Biome covers large tracts of land in Ethiopia and the park is known to harbor few Elephants, Hunting Dog, Cheetah and Giraffe. It provides haven for several antelope species. The most prolific antelopes are Guenther’s Dikdik, Beisa Oryx, Grant’s Gazelles, Gerenuk and Lesser Kudu. Amongst birds, the endemic white-tailed Swallow has been recorded here. The site is found wholly within the Juba/Shebelle Endemic Bird Area. Restricted range species including the White-winged Dove and juba Weaver are residents. The area conserves not less than 50% of birds listed in the Somali-Masai Biome Assemblage.

Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve also called Halaideghe Wildlife Reserve is the large expanse of grassland plains one finds extending from the foothills of the Asebot Mountain to the Awash-Arba asphalt road. It is nearly 50 km in length measuring straight from Awash-Arba towards the town of Gedamaitu. The climate is generally dry and arid conforming to the northeastern parts of the Afar Triangle.

The plains are home to a number of wildlife including Grevy‟s Zebra and Wild Ass. Both the Grevy‟s Zebra and the Wild Ass are critically endangered species. Other larger mammals include Gerenuk, Salt‟s Dikdik and Warthog. Notable bird species include Ostrich, Arabian Bustard, Hartulaub‟s Bustard, Kori Bustard, Grasshopper Buzzard and Carmine Bee-eater.

Guassa is a high ground habitat found in Gera Midir (Menz) woreda in North Shoa Zone of the Amhara Regional State. It is located 288 km from Addis Ababa off the Addis-Dessie Road. Guassa derives its name from the dominant vegetation, Guassa grass (Festuca spp), that covers its alpine meadows, hills and ravines.

The Guassa area harbors nine (23%) of the endemic mammals of Ethiopia, including the Ethiopian wolf, the Gelada and the Ethiopian Highland hare. The Ethiopian wolf is legally protected and with a total world population of less than 450 is the most endangered canid in the world. With six packs of wolves, the Guassa area is a key population of the species.

Guassa supports important and endemic plant species including Guassa grass, giant lobelia, Erica moorlands, Helichrysum and Alchemilla species. The Afro-montane vegetation of the Guassa Area varies with altitude, and is a key attraction of the area. The torch lily or red-hot poker covers entire hillsides with its flame-colored flowers between June and November. The palm-like giant lobelia is most spectacular and reaches up to 12 meters in height.